Italy

A crime syndicate reaps billions working out of its base in Italy's Calabria region. But local farmers have found a way to resist the mob's extortion rackets.

Helicopters managed to extract 65 people from the gondolas late on Thursday — but then night fell, and the remaining trapped tourists had to wait until morning to be rescued.

The Italian navy and aid groups rescued 3,000 people coming from Libya on Tuesday and nearly 7,000 on Monday. Italy is struggling to handle the load.

In 24 hours, the Italian navy and aid groups rescued 6,500 people from wooden and rubber boats off the coast of Libya. The migrants did not have enough fuel to reach Europe.

Italy's state museums are donating their proceeds today to reconstruction efforts, following a massive earthquake that killed at least 291 people and nearly leveled three medieval towns.

Italy has started to bury its dead following a devastating earthquake that killed at least 290 people and left whole towns in ruins. The country has declared Saturday a national day of mourning

In Italy and the U.S., restaurants are pledging to use sales of Amatrice's signature dish, spaghetti all' amatriciana, to raise funds for the Italian town devastated by Wednesday's earthquake.

Officials put the death toll at more than 240. There is a fairly narrow window of time after a quake when survivors can be saved from collapsed buildings, and search crews are fighting the clock.

The earthquake struck overnight, devastating a number of picturesque small towns packed with vacationers. Survivors are being pulled from the rubble as a series of aftershocks shake the region.

Two trains in the southern region of Puglia collided Tuesday. Scores of people are injured, according to wire reports.